Since 1940 theories and systems for solving problems found in the evolution of engineered systems have been examined. A theory known as TRIZ has been described in [Altshuller G. S. (1984) Creativity as an exact science: the theory of the solution of inventive problems. CRC Press, ISBN 9780677212302] and may be considered as a part of the present disclosure. Technological problem solving systems and methods comprising several tools have been developed from this theory.
The operation of such tools is mainly based on the solution of contradictions and particularly contradictions occurring when an improvement of one or more characteristics of a system leads to the undesired worsening of one or more other characteristics.
Problem solving tools comprise standard solutions, principles for solving physical contradictions, principles for removing technological contradictions, information databases and algorithms for the solution of inventive problems particularly a class of algorithms called ARIZ. Such algorithm is described in detail in [U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,663].
Frequently in technological systems and particularly in complex technological systems a real problem to be solved is not always apparent. This main problem is often hidden by other side or secondary problems that are more apparent than the main problem. Therefore a problem formulation process that is not suitable for bringing the main problem out, but limited to identifying side problems leads to solutions to the technical problem whose technical effects do not modify the overall situation and therefore they do not lead to the desired results.
The Iwint system is described in [U.S. Pat. No. 7,454,391]. This system provides to build cause-effect trees related to an initial problem statement. The system allows undesirable effects to be added while the system provides to automatically generate alternative problem statements and queries for search in knowledge database.
Further examples are the so-called “Techoptimizer” and “Goldfire Innovator” which are described in documents [WO2005055000 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,428]
The Techoptimizer software allows a user to use a functional model of a design or technological process to perform value diagnostics of the design or technological process and to identify better configurations and what problems have to be solved in order to achieve the new configuration.
The Goldfire Innovator software comprises problem analysis tools, automatically formulating the problem statement into a natural language or Boolean query that is automatically submitted via a knowledge search tool to a database. Responses to the queries from the database are automatically provided.
Such methods have the common characteristic of being based on how a user perceives the problem.
Moreover, in the case of physically complex systems to be examined, most of the known models break down, namely they reach such a complexity level to lose readability and consequently efficacy.